Theological Status: Theologically Sound
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Philadelphia
❓ What do these grades mean?
🔍 Biblical Discernment: The 7 Church Parallels
The Cold Orthodox Parallel
Ephesus
Teaching that upholds doctrinal precision yet parallels the loss of the "first love"—the vital, motivating power of the Gospel (Rev 2:4).
🧐 Overview
Sermon Summary: In a world that often fears the book of Revelation, this sermon powerfully reclaims its central message: not one of terror, but of ultimate hope. It teaches that the end of the story is not about destruction, but about God's final, beautiful act of renewal, where every tear is wiped away and all things are made new.
Big Idea: Its overarching story is to assure God's people that God is in control even when evil seems present and powerful. [00:42:23 ▶️ 📄]
Pastoral Analysis: This is a sound, Christ-centered exposition of Revelation 21:1-6. The pastor correctly frames the book's primary purpose as encouragement for believers in troubling times. The sermon is marked by pastoral warmth, genuine emotion, and effective use of congregational testimony to illustrate the living nature of God's promises. It successfully grounds the believer's hope in the trustworthiness of God's character and His promise to dwell with His people forever.
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Philadelphia — The sermon demonstrates sound doctrine, is delivered with genuine gospel affection, and effectively builds up the body of Christ through shared testimony, reflecting a church that has kept His word.
🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard
Overall Verdict: Biblically Sound
| Category | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Soteriology | ✅ PASS | The sermon and worship songs ground salvation and hope in the person and work of Christ, His victory over the grave, and His identity as the Alpha and Omega. The final renewal is presented as a gift from God ('I will freely give water'), consistent with a monergistic framework. |
| Bibliology | ✅ PASS | The sermon affirms a high view of Scripture, culminating in the declaration at 00:48:04 ▶️ 📄 that God's words are 'trustworthy and true.' The year-long Bible reading initiative reinforces the centrality and authority of the Word. |
| Hermeneutic | ✅ PASS | The pastor employs a sound hermeneutic for apocalyptic literature, correctly identifying the book's primary purpose as encouragement (00:41:52 ▶️ 📄) and its message as one of renewal, avoiding the common pitfalls of sensationalism and fear-based interpretation. |
| Theology Proper | ✅ PASS | God is presented as sovereign ('God is in control' - 00:42:34 ▶️ 📄), immanent ('God's dwelling is here with humankind' - 00:28:57 ▶️ 📄), and faithful. His character is the foundation for the believer's hope. |
| Sacramentology | ⚪ N/A | Communion was not observed in the provided transcript. |
📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus
Primary Text: Revelation 21:1-6 (Expository (Deep))
Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 6 | Referenced: 4 | Alluded: 3
Passages Read Aloud:
Key References: Revelation 22:20, Leviticus, Luke, Hebrews 4:12
Christological Connection: Redemptive Trajectory: The sermon connects the final renewal (Revelation 21) directly to Christ's victory over death and His role as the Alpha and Omega (00:45:40 ▶️ 📄), providing the ultimate ground for hope and renewal. The worship songs reinforce Christ's resurrection and power (00:51:55 ▶️ 📄).
🧱 Sermon Outline
- Introduction: Finishing the Bible Year [00:30:12 ▶️ 📄] : Acknowledging the completion of the 52-week Bible reading plan and encouraging progress over perfection.
- Interactive Discovery: What is God Up To? [00:31:16 ▶️ 📄] : A segment where the congregation shares their discoveries about God and faith from their Bible reading journey.
- Contextualizing Revelation [00:39:33 ▶️ 📄] : Addressing the fear and misinterpretation of Revelation, defining its basic purpose as encouragement for early believers.
- Point 1: Revelation is About Renewal [00:43:55 ▶️ 📄] : Focusing on the theme of God renewing creation, removing suffering, and dwelling with His people forever, based on Revelation 21.
- Conclusion: We Cannot Lose Hope [00:46:59 ▶️ 📄] : Summarizing the message that God wins, is always faithful, and His word is trustworthy and true.
🗝️ Key Topics & Themes
- Renewal : The central message of Revelation: God renews creation, removes suffering, and lives with His people.
- Hope : The instruction to believers not to lose hope because God is in control and ultimately wins.
- Bible Reading : Reflecting on the year-long journey through scripture and the discovery that the Word is alive.
✅ Commendations
Hermeneutics | Sound Interpretation of Apocalyptic Literature
The pastor is to be commended for correctly framing the primary purpose of Revelation as encouragement for the church (00:41:52 ▶️ 📄), steering the congregation away from fear and toward the profound hope of God's ultimate victory and renewal.
Homiletics | Effective Use of Congregational Testimony
The interactive segment (starting at 00:31:21 ▶️ 📄) was masterfully used not as a filler, but to have the congregation preach the sermon's core message with their own lives before it was formally taught, demonstrating that God's renewal is a present reality, not just a future promise.
Pastoral Tone | Authentic Pastoral Vulnerability
The genuine emotion shown while reading the scripture (00:28:35 ▶️ 📄, 00:44:23 ▶️ 📄) was not a distraction but a powerful affirmation of the text's weight. It modeled for the congregation that the promises of God are not merely intellectual propositions but deep, soul-stirring truths.
📝 Other Corrections & Notes
- At 00:41:06 ▶️ 📄, the speaker states John was 'in exile on the island of Pallas.' → Correction: The Apostle John was exiled on the island of Patmos. (Revelation 1:9)
🧠 Questions for Reflection
Use these questions for personal study or small group discussion:
- The sermon says God will 'wipe away every tear.' What past or present sorrows would you long for God to heal and make new in your own life?
- The speaker described God's promises as 'trustworthy and true.' What makes it difficult to trust in promises you can't see yet, and what did this sermon offer to help build that trust?
📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)
Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.
[00:00:00] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
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[00:00:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
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[00:00:37] .
[00:01:03] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
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[00:01:03] .
[00:01:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
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[00:01:19] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
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[00:01:19] .
[00:01:33] Thank you.
[00:02:05] ... ... ... ...
[00:03:17] Thank you.
[00:03:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Let's try again.
[00:03:59] There we go.
[00:04:00] Good morning.
[00:04:01] Let me just break everything before we start today.
[00:04:06] Let me try again.
[00:04:09] Merry Christmas, Central.
[00:04:12] It is so good to be with you this morning.
[00:04:15] It is great to celebrate Jesus' birth.
[00:04:19] You know, sometimes you feel like after Christmas Day is gone, I even feel it a little bit in the room.
[00:04:23] It feels like the air kind of went...
[00:04:26] but it is still Christmas it is still Christmas and every single time we gather we get to celebrate a little bit of the joy of having Jesus with us always so thank you so much for being here today if it's your first time with us a very special welcome to you as well please fill out one of the connect cards that are there in your pew and drop it at the lobby or in the
[00:04:49] Dream on!
[00:04:56] Living for a God Who Can!
[00:05:09] Dreaming forward and trusting in the God that we serve to be able to do what he says he will do.
[00:05:17] And I'm just really excited about being part of that.
[00:05:19] Today we get to finish our Bible year!
[00:05:22] Woo!
[00:05:23] That we started 52 Sundays ago, which is pretty amazing.
[00:05:27] So thank you so much for being here.
[00:05:29] Let's gather and worship God.
[00:05:33] and just share in what God is up to.
[00:05:36] Would you pray with me?
[00:05:37] Gracious and Holy One, we thank you for being among us.
[00:05:42] We pray that the spirit of Christmas would land in our hearts and stay there all year long.
[00:05:49] Be with us as we worship in spirit and in truth.
[00:05:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Amen.
[00:05:57] All right, let's stand and sing God's praise this morning.
[00:06:00] It's so good to see everybody.
[00:06:04] Just a little off guard with no video today.
[00:06:07] Sorry about that.
[00:06:09] Alright, let's sing.
[00:06:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
God I'm on my knees again God I'm begging please again I need you Oh I need you Walking down these desert roads Water for my thirsty soul I need you Oh I need you Your forgiveness
[00:07:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Like sweet, sweet honey on my lips Like the sound of a symphony in my ears Like holy water on my skin
[00:07:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
I need you.
[00:07:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Oh God, I need you.
[00:07:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
So take me to the river side.
[00:07:46] Take me under that sky.
[00:07:50] I need you.
[00:07:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Oh God, I need you.
[00:07:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Your forgiveness is like sweet, sweet honey on my
[00:08:04] Like the sound of a symphony to my ears Like holy water on my face
[00:08:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
I don't want to abuse your grace God I need it every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change I don't want to abuse your grace God I need it every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change I don't want to abuse your grace
[00:08:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
God, I need it every day.
[00:08:50] It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change.
[00:08:56] Your forgiveness is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips.
[00:09:05] Like the sound of a symphony to my ears.
[00:09:11] Like holy water on my forgiveness.
[00:09:17] Like sweet, sweet honey on my lips Like the sound of the symphony in my ears It's like holy water on my skin It's like holy water on my skin
[00:09:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
You were the Word at the beginning The one with God the Lord most high Your hidden glory and creation Now revealed in You are Christ What a beautiful name it is
[00:10:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus Christ my King What a beautiful name it is, nothing compares to this What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus
[00:10:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
What a wonderful name it is!
[00:11:07] What a wonderful name it is!
[00:11:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
The name of Jesus Christ my King What a wonderful name it is Nothing compares to this What a wonderful name it is The name of Jesus What a wonderful name it is The name of Jesus
[00:12:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Death could not hold you The veil tore before you You silenced the most of sin and grave The heavens are awry With praise of your glory For you are raised to life again You have no rival
[00:12:33] You have no equal.
[00:12:40] Thou art forever God to reign.
[00:12:44] Yours is the kingdom.
[00:12:50] Yours is the glory.
[00:12:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Yours is the name above all names.
[00:12:58] What a powerful name it is.
[00:13:00] What a powerful name it is.
[00:13:02] The name of Jesus Christ my King What a powerful name it is Nothing can stand against What a powerful name it is The name of Jesus What a powerful name it is The name of Jesus What a powerful name it is
[00:13:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
of Jesus.
[00:13:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Amen.
[00:13:38] That's a good singing.
[00:13:41] Please be seated.
[00:13:42] And kids, if you are here and want to go to kids worship, Melissa will meet you here at the door.
[00:13:48] I don't know if we've got any who are going with us today or not.
[00:13:53] Okay.
[00:13:54] And Melanie, too.
[00:13:55] Y'all might get to stay up here today.
[00:13:58] That's okay.
[00:13:59] Wonderful.
[00:14:02] I've sung that song, I don't even know how many hundred times.
[00:14:06] But I've never sung it thinking about Revelation and the completion that comes when we get to the end of the Scripture.
[00:14:16] And the Scripture says, Come, Lord Jesus, Amen.
[00:14:23] What a powerful name it is.
[00:14:25] I about couldn't sing.
[00:14:28] Wow.
[00:14:29] So as we pray this morning,
[00:14:32] I wonder, where has God made you say, wow, lately?
[00:14:46] Where has God made you say, wow?
[00:14:53] It's my parents' 50th wedding anniversary today!
[00:14:56] Today!
[00:14:56] Wow!
[00:14:56] Happy anniversary!
[00:14:58] That is amazing.
[00:15:00] After church, we're going to have a tutorial for the rest of us, so we make it that far.
[00:15:05] Thank you.
[00:15:07] Yeah, that's amazing.
[00:15:09] What a tribute.
[00:15:11] Congratulations, you guys.
[00:15:14] How else has God made you say, wow?
[00:15:21] Family pictures, people celebrating.
[00:15:24] Yeah.
[00:15:26] Any other way?
[00:15:29] That song we just sang.
[00:15:32] Yeah.
[00:15:34] That's a wow.
[00:15:35] Yeah.
[00:15:37] New grandbaby.
[00:15:39] Yeah.
[00:15:39] Congratulations.
[00:15:41] Yeah.
[00:15:44] Is anybody here Christmas Eve?
[00:15:48] Just so y'all know, that's the wow that carries preachers from one Christmas to the next.
[00:15:52] I mean, there's something about that night that is just holy.
[00:15:57] Anything else?
[00:15:59] Yeah.
[00:16:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Absolutely.
[00:16:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
What's her first name?
[00:16:23] Savannah.
[00:16:23] We will pray for Savannah's continued healing after her brain aneurysm for sure.
[00:16:29] Yes.
[00:16:31] Kathy.
[00:16:32] Okay.
[00:16:34] Okay.
[00:16:35] And Michael.
[00:16:40] And today's Jerry's birthday.
[00:16:42] Happy birthday.
[00:16:44] We got all kind of celebrating going on.
[00:16:46] 21 forever, right?
[00:16:52] I'm starting over.
[00:16:53] I love it.
[00:16:54] I love it.
[00:16:55] Would you pray with me?
[00:16:56] Gracious God, we are so grateful.
[00:17:00] to have this family called church and we are grateful to to bring our wows and our concerns and our celebrations and our heartbreaks all to you to know that you hear our prayers to know that you meet us where we are and you promise to be with us and to carry us through
[00:17:26] We thank you for the miracle of Christmas, the miracle of God with us.
[00:17:33] Sometimes it's more than we can even put words on, but we're just humbled by the fact that you would come and be with us.
[00:17:45] And we are encouraged by the truth that you will come again to make all things complete.
[00:17:54] So while we live in this in-between, God, we're grateful that you hear us and you answer.
[00:18:03] We bring every piece of our hearts to you this morning.
[00:18:09] The hearts that are happy and overflowing and bubbling and hearts that are in deep despair.
[00:18:17] Hearts that feel lost and hearts that feel full of courage.
[00:18:23] Because the truth is, God, there are pieces of that in every one of our hearts.
[00:18:30] So meet us at our deepest need.
[00:18:32] Meet our world and our community and our families in that same place.
[00:18:40] And may the beacon of your grace just call us to you over and over and over again.
[00:18:49] Thank you, Lord, for loving us like that.
[00:18:54] Hear our prayers, for we offer them in the mighty and holy name of Jesus, who taught his followers to pray.
[00:19:02] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:19:07] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:19:13] Give us this day our daily bread.
[00:19:15] and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever amen
[00:19:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Our common angels sing Glory to the new born King
[00:20:11] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
.
[00:20:29] .
[00:20:29] .
[00:20:29] .
[00:20:29] .
[00:20:46] Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy,
[00:21:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
In your light for all the earth, We who say creation's morning, Thou who came as I was born, Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ the newborn King.
[00:21:59] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Glory to the newborn King,
[00:22:00] Worship God, the new King.
[00:22:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Amen.
[00:22:20] Thank you.
[00:22:22] As we give our offering this morning, a reminder that offerings come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
[00:22:31] And if you have year-end giving to give, today is the day to do that so that it counts on this year.
[00:22:39] You can give here at the QR code.
[00:22:42] You can bring your gifts to the toolbox here in front of the manger.
[00:22:45] And as you do, I want you to notice the offerings of our preschoolers all around.
[00:22:52] Where they have drawn pictures, some of them couldn't draw pictures, but they put their little fingerprints and brought it to baby Jesus.
[00:23:02] They did this during one of their chapel times and offered to share it with us and I just wanted to share that beautiful offering with you.
[00:23:10] So as you come, just take a look.
[00:23:12] and see how God's littlest ones offered their gifts to the baby Jesus.
[00:23:19] Come and may every giver and every gift be blessed.
[00:23:22] Amen.
[00:23:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
I've got a friend Closer than a brother There is no judgment Oh how he loves me
[00:23:41] I've got a friend He is my strength He is my portion With me in the valley With me in the fire With me in the storm Let all my life Testify Hallelujah
[00:24:09] We are not alone God really loves us God really loves us Hallelujah Praise my soul God really loves us God really loves us His mercy's enough
[00:24:38] His grace is sufficient If you're needing forgiveness or healing His mercy is enough And this is our hope The cross it has spoken Death is no more Christ is the Lord This is our hope Hallelujah We are not alone
[00:25:09] God really loves us God really loves us Hallelujah Praise my soul God really loves us God really loves us
[00:25:37] What a Father, what a Friend, what a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend, what a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend, what a Savior He is
[00:26:05] What a Father, what a Friend What a Savior He is Hallelujah We are not alone God really loves us God really loves us Hallelujah Praise my soul God really loves us
[00:26:34] God really loves us What a Father, what a Friend What a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend What a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend What a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend
[00:27:03] What a Savior He is!
[00:27:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Amen.
[00:27:12] Thank you.
[00:27:15] Beautiful.
[00:27:26] Revelation 21, verses 1 through 6.
[00:27:35] So many times I ask you to imagine yourself in the story.
[00:27:45] This is kind of hard to do on this one.
[00:27:49] But I want you to imagine yourself there watching this come to pass.
[00:28:00] Participating in it as it comes to pass.
[00:28:10] John is talking about sharing a vision.
[00:28:16] That's about the whole book of Revelation is John sharing a vision.
[00:28:20] And this is near the end.
[00:28:22] He says, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
[00:28:27] For the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
[00:28:35] I saw the, I'm sorry, I can't read it without crying.
[00:28:38] I cry every single time.
[00:28:46] New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband.
[00:28:57] I heard a loud voice from the throne say, Look, God's dwelling is here with humankind.
[00:29:07] He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples.
[00:29:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Christ Himself will be with them as their God.
[00:29:18] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
[00:29:22] Death will be no more.
[00:29:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
[00:29:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Then the One seated on the throne said, Look, I am making all things new.
[00:29:43] He also said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.
[00:29:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Then he said to me, All is done.
[00:29:55] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
[00:30:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring.
[00:30:09] This is the hopeful word of God.
[00:30:12] For the people of God, thanks be to God.
[00:30:17] Amen.
[00:30:18] And thank you for helping me.
[00:30:22] In the leader guide for the Bible year that we've been using all year long, this last week of the year is called Amen, Hallelujah.
[00:30:33] And I feel a little bit about like shouting that, you know, because Amen, Hallelujah, we made it.
[00:30:40] We made it.
[00:30:41] Committing to read the whole Bible is a big task.
[00:30:47] And if you're still working on it, keep going.
[00:30:52] Progress is the goal, not perfection.
[00:30:56] Just keep going.
[00:30:58] And I pray that this year's journey through the Bible has added something
[00:31:04] To your spiritual life.
[00:31:05] And if you are just joining us today, and maybe you hadn't read the Bible all year till just now, maybe this is the beginning of that journey.
[00:31:16] But if you've been with us the whole year, I'm curious.
[00:31:20] I'm curious.
[00:31:21] What have you discovered about God and faith this year?
[00:31:26] Or another way to ask that same question is the same question we've been asking of the Bible all year long.
[00:31:32] What is God up to?
[00:31:34] Here.
[00:31:35] So what has God been up to in your faith journey as you've read the Bible this year?
[00:31:43] Even if you read, you know, you made it to Leviticus and you couldn't take anymore and you quit.
[00:31:49] I get it.
[00:31:50] Been there.
[00:31:51] Or you read a little bit and you said, oh, New Testament, here we go.
[00:31:54] And then you made it through about Luke and that's as far as you've gotten.
[00:31:59] It's okay.
[00:32:01] It's okay.
[00:32:02] What have you discovered about God and faith this year?
[00:32:06] What has God been up to with you as you've read the Bible, however you have read it this year?
[00:32:15] So I want you to take just a minute or two and think about that.
[00:32:18] Actually jot it down somewhere on the card or on your bulletin or somewhere.
[00:32:23] If you're at home, find a napkin beside your coffee.
[00:32:27] Write it down.
[00:32:29] What has God been up to?
[00:32:30] What have you discovered from reading the Bible together this year?
[00:32:39] I mean, God has been up to something.
[00:32:45] I think it's up to us to notice it.
[00:32:49] We don't have to be a perfect student for God to be up to something with us.
[00:32:53] None of us are perfect students.
[00:32:55] We're all wanderers who are
[00:32:57] So I want us to have just a minute to share some thoughts about these two questions.
[00:33:11] And to say to you that sharing about how God is working in your life is not bragging.
[00:33:16] I think we hesitate to say anything because we don't want to feel like we're bragging.
[00:33:21] That's not what this is.
[00:33:23] Sharing about what God is up to in your life is sharing grace with somebody.
[00:33:29] It's bearing witness to God's work so that somebody who needs encouraging just might hear it through your story.
[00:33:42] So what's up?
[00:33:44] Let's talk.
[00:33:44] We're going to use this mic, Brian.
[00:33:48] To pass around, if it's on, is it on?
[00:33:52] Okay, hallelujah.
[00:33:55] What's God been up to?
[00:33:56] Talk to me.
[00:33:58] You don't have to come up here, I'm going to bring you the mic.
[00:34:00] You can sit right where you are.
[00:34:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
No matter what we're going through, God is with us.
[00:34:09] I saw that all the way through the Bible.
[00:34:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
[00:34:13] What else?
[00:34:15] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Yeah.
[00:34:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
One thing that I have really learned and re-learned this year is that to let go and let God.
[00:34:31] Things are going to work out just perfectly the way they're supposed to be.
[00:34:35] And so I've tried not to spend so much time worrying about outcomes.
[00:34:41] And it's been amazing.
[00:34:43] It works to trust.
[00:34:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
That's amazing.
[00:34:49] Anybody else?
[00:34:52] Where's God showing up for you?
[00:35:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
I had a lot of opportunities for growth and challenges in personal life, specifically with the property of my parents.
[00:35:11] And I love them dearly, but they left us a lot of stuff.
[00:35:16] And I thank God for my brother to work with me and my family for supporting me in all this and being part of it as well.
[00:35:22] But I learned that I can do more than I think I can through God.
[00:35:28] That's the first thing.
[00:35:28] And the second thing was, in the parts of the Bible, I confess, I didn't get through it all.
[00:35:35] I'm one of those.
[00:35:36] Yes, me too.
[00:35:36] I made it as far as I could.
[00:35:38] It's okay.
[00:35:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Work in progress.
[00:35:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
But I relearned and was reminded that God's Word is alive.
[00:35:45] It is living.
[00:35:46] And how it speaks to me as a 52-year-old is not the same as it spoke to me as a 35 or 30 or 42-year-old.
[00:35:53] And so it's always, always, always...
[00:35:57] I should be reading it once a year to discover new things about how God is working in my life and the lives of the people around me.
[00:36:11] That's amazing.
[00:36:13] That's big.
[00:36:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
The Word is alive and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, I believe scripture says.
[00:36:21] Yeah, Henry, go.
[00:36:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Protecting us until the end.
[00:36:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Mmm.
[00:36:29] Protecting us until the end.
[00:36:31] Yes.
[00:36:32] Absolutely.
[00:36:34] Anybody else?
[00:36:37] You don't have to.
[00:36:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but one of the things I learned this year, I actually did make it through the whole thing.
[00:36:44] Good for you.
[00:36:45] And I didn't just read the readings, I read all the in-between stuff too.
[00:36:48] And it was hard.
[00:36:49] It's hard.
[00:36:50] Leviticus was tough.
[00:36:51] I'm not going to lie.
[00:36:54] But one of the things I learned a lot, because I was researching as I was reading, I would take notes and write down a scripture that struck me as odd or out of place.
[00:37:04] Because whether we want to say this or not, the Bible is full of weird contradictions and things about itself.
[00:37:09] But one of the things I learned is if you research and dig into the scripture a few layers deep and learn what the authors of the text were actually trying to communicate,
[00:37:19] What's God been up to in your journey?
[00:37:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
What have you discovered?
[00:37:50] Anybody else want to share?
[00:37:55] Go, Jerry.
[00:38:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
He has taught me how to love and how to love everyone.
[00:38:05] That's what he's all about.
[00:38:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Yeah.
[00:38:08] Yeah.
[00:38:10] He's taught me how to love and how to love everyone.
[00:38:14] He's with us no matter what.
[00:38:16] He protects us.
[00:38:19] He's alive.
[00:38:22] It's deeper than we ever imagined.
[00:38:25] Wow.
[00:38:27] If you need a wow for next Sunday, here you go.
[00:38:31] Wow.
[00:38:32] Anybody else?
[00:38:33] Don't want to cut it off before?
[00:38:34] Yeah.
[00:38:37] Good stuff.
[00:38:40] Good, good stuff.
[00:38:41] This journey through Scripture.
[00:38:50] has just reimagined for me the truth of it.
[00:39:01] To just read it for myself and not to teach a class or preach a sermon or any of the things, but just to take it in for my own soul and my own journey.
[00:39:18] To settle into this is real and this is God with us in such an amazing and powerful way.
[00:39:30] Thank you so much for sharing.
[00:39:33] As you know, as we come to the close, we come to the book of Revelation.
[00:39:41] There are stacks and stacks of books written about this book.
[00:39:47] Attempting to explain all the wild and crazy imagery that we find there, there are a myriad of frightening end times kind of movies and predictions that offer their own explanations about God's final judgment and justice.
[00:40:06] And you know as well as I do, there is absolutely no way to scratch the surface of all of those things in one Sunday, or one month, or maybe even one year.
[00:40:19] And on top of that, the book of Revelation might be the most ignored book of all by mainline Protestant preachers because we're afraid of it.
[00:40:28] Just like everybody else.
[00:40:30] We tend to shy away from it because so many times it's been misinterpreted to incite fear about the end times in people.
[00:40:41] And we don't want to perpetuate that because that's not what it's about.
[00:40:45] But we shy away from it because the imagery is so dense and we don't really know what to do with it and we really don't want to get it wrong.
[00:40:57] But at its most basic, which is as far as we're going to be able to go today, at its most basic, the book of Revelation is a vision that God gave to John while he was in exile on the island of Pallas.
[00:41:16] So if you lead with that, that helps you as you read.
[00:41:23] And Revelation, first of all, it is revelation to John.
[00:41:27] If I don't teach you anything else, it is not the book of Revelations.
[00:41:31] It is one revelation to one disciple named John.
[00:41:36] Okay?
[00:41:37] One revelation.
[00:41:39] Because one God is coming to make all things complete.
[00:41:45] And its primary purpose is not to predict some unknown future or end.
[00:41:52] It's primary purpose is to encourage believers in the early church who were facing troubling times.
[00:42:02] So I wonder, do you know any believers in the current church who might be facing troubling times?
[00:42:10] Oh, okay.
[00:42:11] I'd say probably so.
[00:42:13] So perhaps this book is still doing its work to encourage us in what we see as troubling times as well.
[00:42:23] And its overarching story is to assure God's people that God is in control even when evil seems present and powerful.
[00:42:34] God is in control.
[00:42:38] And in this book of Revelation, Jesus speaks to seven churches, calling them to stay faithful.
[00:42:48] And there's a lot of number imagery in this book, but if you remember, all throughout Scripture, seven is a number of completion.
[00:42:57] Remember from the very beginning.
[00:43:00] God created the heavens and the earth in how many days?
[00:43:04] Seven.
[00:43:05] So it was completion.
[00:43:07] The seven churches is a signal to everyone that all creation is part of God's great redemption.
[00:43:15] Nobody's left out.
[00:43:19] And then John sees heaven again where God is in control and Jesus alone is worthy to carry out God's plan.
[00:43:30] And then there's this series of very highly symbolic visions and judgments where we see this ongoing tug of war between good and evil.
[00:43:39] Have we seen that before in the Bible?
[00:43:42] Oh yeah.
[00:43:43] From day one till now.
[00:43:46] This ongoing struggle between good and evil.
[00:43:49] And evil powers rise, but they are ultimately defeated.
[00:43:55] And in the end, and most importantly, Revelation is about renewal.
[00:44:02] That is God's good news for us this day.
[00:44:07] Revelation is about renewal.
[00:44:10] God renews creation, removes suffering, and lives with His people forever.
[00:44:23] I think that's why I can't get through it without crying because I just envision God so present with us, renewing everything that is broken, wiping away tears, wiping away suffering, dwelling with us forever and ever.
[00:44:47] Amen.
[00:44:50] Revelation is about
[00:44:52] Renewal.
[00:44:53] I want you to look at these verses I read a few minutes ago.
[00:44:57] Can you show me, Brian?
[00:44:59] There it is.
[00:45:02] Everything that is in green is about renewal.
[00:45:10] Every single bit.
[00:45:11] New heaven, new earth.
[00:45:14] The former have passed away.
[00:45:16] New Jerusalem being made like a bride.
[00:45:19] God is dwelling here with us.
[00:45:23] Do you hear it?
[00:45:24] You hear the chorus over and over and over.
[00:45:28] God comes to renew.
[00:45:30] Write this down.
[00:45:35] This is the truth.
[00:45:40] I am the beginning and the end, he says.
[00:45:43] To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring.
[00:45:52] This message of renewal, you heard it just a few minutes ago, didn't you?
[00:45:59] In all of your sharing, you preached it with your own lives already.
[00:46:08] You spoke to how God is always with us.
[00:46:14] To how God protects.
[00:46:17] To how God helps us when we don't think we can.
[00:46:24] To how God shows us how to love.
[00:46:27] To how God teaches us how to trust.
[00:46:31] You preached yourselves that God is renewing the face of the earth one human being at a time.
[00:46:40] Starting with you and me.
[00:46:43] It's a beautiful, beautiful picture.
[00:46:48] The renewing power of God.
[00:46:50] You see, you have already experienced the primary message of John's revelation.
[00:46:59] It is a message that promises that in these and all troubling times, from now until Jesus returns to make everything complete, we as followers can do these things.
[00:47:18] We cannot lose hope.
[00:47:21] We cannot lose hope because when it has all been said and done, evil loses, God wins.
[00:47:31] And God is always with us.
[00:47:33] God is always faithful.
[00:47:36] It's not some fantasy to think about.
[00:47:40] It is a truth to set your life on, to believe in.
[00:47:46] You can count on it.
[00:47:47] Not only can you count on it, you can rest your life on it.
[00:47:54] And when you do, it will be a good life because God is at the center of it.
[00:48:01] We can rest our lives on it.
[00:48:04] His words and His never-ending love for you, for me, and for all creation have always been and will always be
[00:48:16] Trustworthy and true.
[00:48:20] Thanks be to God.
[00:48:22] Hallelujah.
[00:48:24] Amen.
[00:48:26] Let us pray.
[00:48:32] Gracious God, thank you.
[00:48:42] Thank you for your light and your love
[00:48:45] Lights up the darkness and shows us the way.
[00:48:51] Thank you for hope that never dies.
[00:48:55] Thank you for your story that from the beginning until forever from now is trustworthy and true for our lives, for our walk, for our journey with you in this world.
[00:49:11] Remind us always
[00:49:14] That you are the beginning and the end.
[00:49:18] And we can set our lives on it.
[00:49:22] Thank you for who you are and the way that you love us.
[00:49:26] Help us to love you and the world like that.
[00:49:30] Amen.
[00:49:31] Would you stand?
[00:49:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
We're going to give you two at the end here to sing nice and loud to.
[00:49:36] One hymn and one that hopefully we all know.
[00:50:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
There is now a hope that lasts beyond our days For the one that once was buried lives again Now the tomb is bare and empty and the stone is rolled away
[00:50:26] Praise the risen one who overcame the grave All you brokenhearted, all you worn and weak Don't find living water, everlasting stream
[00:50:53] To the wand in spirit lost and searching Wanting something more By the risen King who overcomes the world Let there be dancing in the darkness And let our song break through the night
[00:51:20] Lift your voice and sing that Christ is King, for Jesus is life No more condemnation, no more doubt and fear
[00:51:44] For our sin and shame, they have no power here.
[00:51:55] In His resurrection, perfect love has set the captives free.
[00:52:02] Praise the risen King who's... Hallelujah
[00:52:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Death is undone, Hallelujah Jesus has won, Hallelujah We overcome, O in Jesus, O in Jesus, Hallelujah Death is undone, Hallelujah Jesus has won, Hallelujah
[00:52:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Let there be dancing in the darkness, and let our song break through the night.
[00:52:57] Lift your voice and sing that Christ is King, for Jesus is life.
[00:53:05] Lift your voice and sing that Christ is King, for Jesus is alive.
[00:53:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
If you want to stay standing, we're going to sing two verses of Joy to the World.
[00:53:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Joy to the world the Lord is come Let earth receive her King Let earth prepare Him room And heaven and nature sing And heaven and nature sing And heaven and nature sing
[00:54:14] He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove The glories of a river to His name and wonders of His love and wonders of His love
[00:54:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
So go from this place into a brand new year living in the wonder of His love.
[00:54:53] And may the Lord bless you and keep you.
[00:54:55] May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[00:54:59] May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you His peace now and forevermore.
[00:55:06] Amen.
[00:55:07] Merry Christmas.
.
[00:00:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
.
[00:00:29] .
[00:00:37] .
[00:01:03] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
.
[00:01:03] .
[00:01:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
.
[00:01:19] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
.
[00:01:19] .
[00:01:33] Thank you.
[00:02:05] ... ... ... ...
[00:03:17] Thank you.
[00:03:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Let's try again.
[00:03:59] There we go.
[00:04:00] Good morning.
[00:04:01] Let me just break everything before we start today.
[00:04:06] Let me try again.
[00:04:09] Merry Christmas, Central.
[00:04:12] It is so good to be with you this morning.
[00:04:15] It is great to celebrate Jesus' birth.
[00:04:19] You know, sometimes you feel like after Christmas Day is gone, I even feel it a little bit in the room.
[00:04:23] It feels like the air kind of went...
[00:04:26] but it is still Christmas it is still Christmas and every single time we gather we get to celebrate a little bit of the joy of having Jesus with us always so thank you so much for being here today if it's your first time with us a very special welcome to you as well please fill out one of the connect cards that are there in your pew and drop it at the lobby or in the
[00:04:49] Dream on!
[00:04:56] Living for a God Who Can!
[00:05:09] Dreaming forward and trusting in the God that we serve to be able to do what he says he will do.
[00:05:17] And I'm just really excited about being part of that.
[00:05:19] Today we get to finish our Bible year!
[00:05:22] Woo!
[00:05:23] That we started 52 Sundays ago, which is pretty amazing.
[00:05:27] So thank you so much for being here.
[00:05:29] Let's gather and worship God.
[00:05:33] and just share in what God is up to.
[00:05:36] Would you pray with me?
[00:05:37] Gracious and Holy One, we thank you for being among us.
[00:05:42] We pray that the spirit of Christmas would land in our hearts and stay there all year long.
[00:05:49] Be with us as we worship in spirit and in truth.
[00:05:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Amen.
[00:05:57] All right, let's stand and sing God's praise this morning.
[00:06:00] It's so good to see everybody.
[00:06:04] Just a little off guard with no video today.
[00:06:07] Sorry about that.
[00:06:09] Alright, let's sing.
[00:06:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
God I'm on my knees again God I'm begging please again I need you Oh I need you Walking down these desert roads Water for my thirsty soul I need you Oh I need you Your forgiveness
[00:07:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Like sweet, sweet honey on my lips Like the sound of a symphony in my ears Like holy water on my skin
[00:07:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
I need you.
[00:07:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Oh God, I need you.
[00:07:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
So take me to the river side.
[00:07:46] Take me under that sky.
[00:07:50] I need you.
[00:07:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Oh God, I need you.
[00:07:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Your forgiveness is like sweet, sweet honey on my
[00:08:04] Like the sound of a symphony to my ears Like holy water on my face
[00:08:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
I don't want to abuse your grace God I need it every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change I don't want to abuse your grace God I need it every day It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change I don't want to abuse your grace
[00:08:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
God, I need it every day.
[00:08:50] It's the only thing that ever really makes me want to change.
[00:08:56] Your forgiveness is like sweet, sweet honey on my lips.
[00:09:05] Like the sound of a symphony to my ears.
[00:09:11] Like holy water on my forgiveness.
[00:09:17] Like sweet, sweet honey on my lips Like the sound of the symphony in my ears It's like holy water on my skin It's like holy water on my skin
[00:09:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
You were the Word at the beginning The one with God the Lord most high Your hidden glory and creation Now revealed in You are Christ What a beautiful name it is
[00:10:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus Christ my King What a beautiful name it is, nothing compares to this What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus
[00:10:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
What a wonderful name it is!
[00:11:07] What a wonderful name it is!
[00:11:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
The name of Jesus Christ my King What a wonderful name it is Nothing compares to this What a wonderful name it is The name of Jesus What a wonderful name it is The name of Jesus
[00:12:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Death could not hold you The veil tore before you You silenced the most of sin and grave The heavens are awry With praise of your glory For you are raised to life again You have no rival
[00:12:33] You have no equal.
[00:12:40] Thou art forever God to reign.
[00:12:44] Yours is the kingdom.
[00:12:50] Yours is the glory.
[00:12:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Yours is the name above all names.
[00:12:58] What a powerful name it is.
[00:13:00] What a powerful name it is.
[00:13:02] The name of Jesus Christ my King What a powerful name it is Nothing can stand against What a powerful name it is The name of Jesus What a powerful name it is The name of Jesus What a powerful name it is
[00:13:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
of Jesus.
[00:13:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Amen.
[00:13:38] That's a good singing.
[00:13:41] Please be seated.
[00:13:42] And kids, if you are here and want to go to kids worship, Melissa will meet you here at the door.
[00:13:48] I don't know if we've got any who are going with us today or not.
[00:13:53] Okay.
[00:13:54] And Melanie, too.
[00:13:55] Y'all might get to stay up here today.
[00:13:58] That's okay.
[00:13:59] Wonderful.
[00:14:02] I've sung that song, I don't even know how many hundred times.
[00:14:06] But I've never sung it thinking about Revelation and the completion that comes when we get to the end of the Scripture.
[00:14:16] And the Scripture says, Come, Lord Jesus, Amen.
[00:14:23] What a powerful name it is.
[00:14:25] I about couldn't sing.
[00:14:28] Wow.
[00:14:29] So as we pray this morning,
[00:14:32] I wonder, where has God made you say, wow, lately?
[00:14:46] Where has God made you say, wow?
[00:14:53] It's my parents' 50th wedding anniversary today!
[00:14:56] Today!
[00:14:56] Wow!
[00:14:56] Happy anniversary!
[00:14:58] That is amazing.
[00:15:00] After church, we're going to have a tutorial for the rest of us, so we make it that far.
[00:15:05] Thank you.
[00:15:07] Yeah, that's amazing.
[00:15:09] What a tribute.
[00:15:11] Congratulations, you guys.
[00:15:14] How else has God made you say, wow?
[00:15:21] Family pictures, people celebrating.
[00:15:24] Yeah.
[00:15:26] Any other way?
[00:15:29] That song we just sang.
[00:15:32] Yeah.
[00:15:34] That's a wow.
[00:15:35] Yeah.
[00:15:37] New grandbaby.
[00:15:39] Yeah.
[00:15:39] Congratulations.
[00:15:41] Yeah.
[00:15:44] Is anybody here Christmas Eve?
[00:15:48] Just so y'all know, that's the wow that carries preachers from one Christmas to the next.
[00:15:52] I mean, there's something about that night that is just holy.
[00:15:57] Anything else?
[00:15:59] Yeah.
[00:16:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Absolutely.
[00:16:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
What's her first name?
[00:16:23] Savannah.
[00:16:23] We will pray for Savannah's continued healing after her brain aneurysm for sure.
[00:16:29] Yes.
[00:16:31] Kathy.
[00:16:32] Okay.
[00:16:34] Okay.
[00:16:35] And Michael.
[00:16:40] And today's Jerry's birthday.
[00:16:42] Happy birthday.
[00:16:44] We got all kind of celebrating going on.
[00:16:46] 21 forever, right?
[00:16:52] I'm starting over.
[00:16:53] I love it.
[00:16:54] I love it.
[00:16:55] Would you pray with me?
[00:16:56] Gracious God, we are so grateful.
[00:17:00] to have this family called church and we are grateful to to bring our wows and our concerns and our celebrations and our heartbreaks all to you to know that you hear our prayers to know that you meet us where we are and you promise to be with us and to carry us through
[00:17:26] We thank you for the miracle of Christmas, the miracle of God with us.
[00:17:33] Sometimes it's more than we can even put words on, but we're just humbled by the fact that you would come and be with us.
[00:17:45] And we are encouraged by the truth that you will come again to make all things complete.
[00:17:54] So while we live in this in-between, God, we're grateful that you hear us and you answer.
[00:18:03] We bring every piece of our hearts to you this morning.
[00:18:09] The hearts that are happy and overflowing and bubbling and hearts that are in deep despair.
[00:18:17] Hearts that feel lost and hearts that feel full of courage.
[00:18:23] Because the truth is, God, there are pieces of that in every one of our hearts.
[00:18:30] So meet us at our deepest need.
[00:18:32] Meet our world and our community and our families in that same place.
[00:18:40] And may the beacon of your grace just call us to you over and over and over again.
[00:18:49] Thank you, Lord, for loving us like that.
[00:18:54] Hear our prayers, for we offer them in the mighty and holy name of Jesus, who taught his followers to pray.
[00:19:02] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
[00:19:07] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
[00:19:13] Give us this day our daily bread.
[00:19:15] and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever amen
[00:19:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Our common angels sing Glory to the new born King
[00:20:11] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
.
[00:20:29] .
[00:20:29] .
[00:20:29] .
[00:20:29] .
[00:20:46] Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy,
[00:21:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
In your light for all the earth, We who say creation's morning, Thou who came as I was born, Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ the newborn King.
[00:21:59] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Glory to the newborn King,
[00:22:00] Worship God, the new King.
[00:22:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Amen.
[00:22:20] Thank you.
[00:22:22] As we give our offering this morning, a reminder that offerings come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
[00:22:31] And if you have year-end giving to give, today is the day to do that so that it counts on this year.
[00:22:39] You can give here at the QR code.
[00:22:42] You can bring your gifts to the toolbox here in front of the manger.
[00:22:45] And as you do, I want you to notice the offerings of our preschoolers all around.
[00:22:52] Where they have drawn pictures, some of them couldn't draw pictures, but they put their little fingerprints and brought it to baby Jesus.
[00:23:02] They did this during one of their chapel times and offered to share it with us and I just wanted to share that beautiful offering with you.
[00:23:10] So as you come, just take a look.
[00:23:12] and see how God's littlest ones offered their gifts to the baby Jesus.
[00:23:19] Come and may every giver and every gift be blessed.
[00:23:22] Amen.
[00:23:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
I've got a friend Closer than a brother There is no judgment Oh how he loves me
[00:23:41] I've got a friend He is my strength He is my portion With me in the valley With me in the fire With me in the storm Let all my life Testify Hallelujah
[00:24:09] We are not alone God really loves us God really loves us Hallelujah Praise my soul God really loves us God really loves us His mercy's enough
[00:24:38] His grace is sufficient If you're needing forgiveness or healing His mercy is enough And this is our hope The cross it has spoken Death is no more Christ is the Lord This is our hope Hallelujah We are not alone
[00:25:09] God really loves us God really loves us Hallelujah Praise my soul God really loves us God really loves us
[00:25:37] What a Father, what a Friend, what a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend, what a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend, what a Savior He is
[00:26:05] What a Father, what a Friend What a Savior He is Hallelujah We are not alone God really loves us God really loves us Hallelujah Praise my soul God really loves us
[00:26:34] God really loves us What a Father, what a Friend What a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend What a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend What a Savior He is What a Father, what a Friend
[00:27:03] What a Savior He is!
[00:27:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Amen.
[00:27:12] Thank you.
[00:27:15] Beautiful.
[00:27:26] Revelation 21, verses 1 through 6.
[00:27:35] So many times I ask you to imagine yourself in the story.
[00:27:45] This is kind of hard to do on this one.
[00:27:49] But I want you to imagine yourself there watching this come to pass.
[00:28:00] Participating in it as it comes to pass.
[00:28:10] John is talking about sharing a vision.
[00:28:16] That's about the whole book of Revelation is John sharing a vision.
[00:28:20] And this is near the end.
[00:28:22] He says, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
[00:28:27] For the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
[00:28:35] I saw the, I'm sorry, I can't read it without crying.
[00:28:38] I cry every single time.
[00:28:46] New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband.
[00:28:57] I heard a loud voice from the throne say, Look, God's dwelling is here with humankind.
[00:29:07] He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples.
[00:29:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Christ Himself will be with them as their God.
[00:29:18] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
[00:29:22] Death will be no more.
[00:29:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
[00:29:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Then the One seated on the throne said, Look, I am making all things new.
[00:29:43] He also said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.
[00:29:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Then he said to me, All is done.
[00:29:55] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
[00:30:03] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring.
[00:30:09] This is the hopeful word of God.
[00:30:12] For the people of God, thanks be to God.
[00:30:17] Amen.
[00:30:18] And thank you for helping me.
[00:30:22] In the leader guide for the Bible year that we've been using all year long, this last week of the year is called Amen, Hallelujah.
[00:30:33] And I feel a little bit about like shouting that, you know, because Amen, Hallelujah, we made it.
[00:30:40] We made it.
[00:30:41] Committing to read the whole Bible is a big task.
[00:30:47] And if you're still working on it, keep going.
[00:30:52] Progress is the goal, not perfection.
[00:30:56] Just keep going.
[00:30:58] And I pray that this year's journey through the Bible has added something
[00:31:04] To your spiritual life.
[00:31:05] And if you are just joining us today, and maybe you hadn't read the Bible all year till just now, maybe this is the beginning of that journey.
[00:31:16] But if you've been with us the whole year, I'm curious.
[00:31:20] I'm curious.
[00:31:21] What have you discovered about God and faith this year?
[00:31:26] Or another way to ask that same question is the same question we've been asking of the Bible all year long.
[00:31:32] What is God up to?
[00:31:34] Here.
[00:31:35] So what has God been up to in your faith journey as you've read the Bible this year?
[00:31:43] Even if you read, you know, you made it to Leviticus and you couldn't take anymore and you quit.
[00:31:49] I get it.
[00:31:50] Been there.
[00:31:51] Or you read a little bit and you said, oh, New Testament, here we go.
[00:31:54] And then you made it through about Luke and that's as far as you've gotten.
[00:31:59] It's okay.
[00:32:01] It's okay.
[00:32:02] What have you discovered about God and faith this year?
[00:32:06] What has God been up to with you as you've read the Bible, however you have read it this year?
[00:32:15] So I want you to take just a minute or two and think about that.
[00:32:18] Actually jot it down somewhere on the card or on your bulletin or somewhere.
[00:32:23] If you're at home, find a napkin beside your coffee.
[00:32:27] Write it down.
[00:32:29] What has God been up to?
[00:32:30] What have you discovered from reading the Bible together this year?
[00:32:39] I mean, God has been up to something.
[00:32:45] I think it's up to us to notice it.
[00:32:49] We don't have to be a perfect student for God to be up to something with us.
[00:32:53] None of us are perfect students.
[00:32:55] We're all wanderers who are
[00:32:57] So I want us to have just a minute to share some thoughts about these two questions.
[00:33:11] And to say to you that sharing about how God is working in your life is not bragging.
[00:33:16] I think we hesitate to say anything because we don't want to feel like we're bragging.
[00:33:21] That's not what this is.
[00:33:23] Sharing about what God is up to in your life is sharing grace with somebody.
[00:33:29] It's bearing witness to God's work so that somebody who needs encouraging just might hear it through your story.
[00:33:42] So what's up?
[00:33:44] Let's talk.
[00:33:44] We're going to use this mic, Brian.
[00:33:48] To pass around, if it's on, is it on?
[00:33:52] Okay, hallelujah.
[00:33:55] What's God been up to?
[00:33:56] Talk to me.
[00:33:58] You don't have to come up here, I'm going to bring you the mic.
[00:34:00] You can sit right where you are.
[00:34:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
No matter what we're going through, God is with us.
[00:34:09] I saw that all the way through the Bible.
[00:34:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
[00:34:13] What else?
[00:34:15] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Yeah.
[00:34:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
One thing that I have really learned and re-learned this year is that to let go and let God.
[00:34:31] Things are going to work out just perfectly the way they're supposed to be.
[00:34:35] And so I've tried not to spend so much time worrying about outcomes.
[00:34:41] And it's been amazing.
[00:34:43] It works to trust.
[00:34:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
That's amazing.
[00:34:49] Anybody else?
[00:34:52] Where's God showing up for you?
[00:35:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
I had a lot of opportunities for growth and challenges in personal life, specifically with the property of my parents.
[00:35:11] And I love them dearly, but they left us a lot of stuff.
[00:35:16] And I thank God for my brother to work with me and my family for supporting me in all this and being part of it as well.
[00:35:22] But I learned that I can do more than I think I can through God.
[00:35:28] That's the first thing.
[00:35:28] And the second thing was, in the parts of the Bible, I confess, I didn't get through it all.
[00:35:35] I'm one of those.
[00:35:36] Yes, me too.
[00:35:36] I made it as far as I could.
[00:35:38] It's okay.
[00:35:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Work in progress.
[00:35:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
But I relearned and was reminded that God's Word is alive.
[00:35:45] It is living.
[00:35:46] And how it speaks to me as a 52-year-old is not the same as it spoke to me as a 35 or 30 or 42-year-old.
[00:35:53] And so it's always, always, always...
[00:35:57] I should be reading it once a year to discover new things about how God is working in my life and the lives of the people around me.
[00:36:11] That's amazing.
[00:36:13] That's big.
[00:36:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
The Word is alive and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, I believe scripture says.
[00:36:21] Yeah, Henry, go.
[00:36:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Protecting us until the end.
[00:36:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Mmm.
[00:36:29] Protecting us until the end.
[00:36:31] Yes.
[00:36:32] Absolutely.
[00:36:34] Anybody else?
[00:36:37] You don't have to.
[00:36:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but one of the things I learned this year, I actually did make it through the whole thing.
[00:36:44] Good for you.
[00:36:45] And I didn't just read the readings, I read all the in-between stuff too.
[00:36:48] And it was hard.
[00:36:49] It's hard.
[00:36:50] Leviticus was tough.
[00:36:51] I'm not going to lie.
[00:36:54] But one of the things I learned a lot, because I was researching as I was reading, I would take notes and write down a scripture that struck me as odd or out of place.
[00:37:04] Because whether we want to say this or not, the Bible is full of weird contradictions and things about itself.
[00:37:09] But one of the things I learned is if you research and dig into the scripture a few layers deep and learn what the authors of the text were actually trying to communicate,
[00:37:19] What's God been up to in your journey?
[00:37:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
What have you discovered?
[00:37:50] Anybody else want to share?
[00:37:55] Go, Jerry.
[00:38:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
He has taught me how to love and how to love everyone.
[00:38:05] That's what he's all about.
[00:38:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Yeah.
[00:38:08] Yeah.
[00:38:10] He's taught me how to love and how to love everyone.
[00:38:14] He's with us no matter what.
[00:38:16] He protects us.
[00:38:19] He's alive.
[00:38:22] It's deeper than we ever imagined.
[00:38:25] Wow.
[00:38:27] If you need a wow for next Sunday, here you go.
[00:38:31] Wow.
[00:38:32] Anybody else?
[00:38:33] Don't want to cut it off before?
[00:38:34] Yeah.
[00:38:37] Good stuff.
[00:38:40] Good, good stuff.
[00:38:41] This journey through Scripture.
[00:38:50] has just reimagined for me the truth of it.
[00:39:01] To just read it for myself and not to teach a class or preach a sermon or any of the things, but just to take it in for my own soul and my own journey.
[00:39:18] To settle into this is real and this is God with us in such an amazing and powerful way.
[00:39:30] Thank you so much for sharing.
[00:39:33] As you know, as we come to the close, we come to the book of Revelation.
[00:39:41] There are stacks and stacks of books written about this book.
[00:39:47] Attempting to explain all the wild and crazy imagery that we find there, there are a myriad of frightening end times kind of movies and predictions that offer their own explanations about God's final judgment and justice.
[00:40:06] And you know as well as I do, there is absolutely no way to scratch the surface of all of those things in one Sunday, or one month, or maybe even one year.
[00:40:19] And on top of that, the book of Revelation might be the most ignored book of all by mainline Protestant preachers because we're afraid of it.
[00:40:28] Just like everybody else.
[00:40:30] We tend to shy away from it because so many times it's been misinterpreted to incite fear about the end times in people.
[00:40:41] And we don't want to perpetuate that because that's not what it's about.
[00:40:45] But we shy away from it because the imagery is so dense and we don't really know what to do with it and we really don't want to get it wrong.
[00:40:57] But at its most basic, which is as far as we're going to be able to go today, at its most basic, the book of Revelation is a vision that God gave to John while he was in exile on the island of Pallas.
[00:41:16] So if you lead with that, that helps you as you read.
[00:41:23] And Revelation, first of all, it is revelation to John.
[00:41:27] If I don't teach you anything else, it is not the book of Revelations.
[00:41:31] It is one revelation to one disciple named John.
[00:41:36] Okay?
[00:41:37] One revelation.
[00:41:39] Because one God is coming to make all things complete.
[00:41:45] And its primary purpose is not to predict some unknown future or end.
[00:41:52] It's primary purpose is to encourage believers in the early church who were facing troubling times.
[00:42:02] So I wonder, do you know any believers in the current church who might be facing troubling times?
[00:42:10] Oh, okay.
[00:42:11] I'd say probably so.
[00:42:13] So perhaps this book is still doing its work to encourage us in what we see as troubling times as well.
[00:42:23] And its overarching story is to assure God's people that God is in control even when evil seems present and powerful.
[00:42:34] God is in control.
[00:42:38] And in this book of Revelation, Jesus speaks to seven churches, calling them to stay faithful.
[00:42:48] And there's a lot of number imagery in this book, but if you remember, all throughout Scripture, seven is a number of completion.
[00:42:57] Remember from the very beginning.
[00:43:00] God created the heavens and the earth in how many days?
[00:43:04] Seven.
[00:43:05] So it was completion.
[00:43:07] The seven churches is a signal to everyone that all creation is part of God's great redemption.
[00:43:15] Nobody's left out.
[00:43:19] And then John sees heaven again where God is in control and Jesus alone is worthy to carry out God's plan.
[00:43:30] And then there's this series of very highly symbolic visions and judgments where we see this ongoing tug of war between good and evil.
[00:43:39] Have we seen that before in the Bible?
[00:43:42] Oh yeah.
[00:43:43] From day one till now.
[00:43:46] This ongoing struggle between good and evil.
[00:43:49] And evil powers rise, but they are ultimately defeated.
[00:43:55] And in the end, and most importantly, Revelation is about renewal.
[00:44:02] That is God's good news for us this day.
[00:44:07] Revelation is about renewal.
[00:44:10] God renews creation, removes suffering, and lives with His people forever.
[00:44:23] I think that's why I can't get through it without crying because I just envision God so present with us, renewing everything that is broken, wiping away tears, wiping away suffering, dwelling with us forever and ever.
[00:44:47] Amen.
[00:44:50] Revelation is about
[00:44:52] Renewal.
[00:44:53] I want you to look at these verses I read a few minutes ago.
[00:44:57] Can you show me, Brian?
[00:44:59] There it is.
[00:45:02] Everything that is in green is about renewal.
[00:45:10] Every single bit.
[00:45:11] New heaven, new earth.
[00:45:14] The former have passed away.
[00:45:16] New Jerusalem being made like a bride.
[00:45:19] God is dwelling here with us.
[00:45:23] Do you hear it?
[00:45:24] You hear the chorus over and over and over.
[00:45:28] God comes to renew.
[00:45:30] Write this down.
[00:45:35] This is the truth.
[00:45:40] I am the beginning and the end, he says.
[00:45:43] To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring.
[00:45:52] This message of renewal, you heard it just a few minutes ago, didn't you?
[00:45:59] In all of your sharing, you preached it with your own lives already.
[00:46:08] You spoke to how God is always with us.
[00:46:14] To how God protects.
[00:46:17] To how God helps us when we don't think we can.
[00:46:24] To how God shows us how to love.
[00:46:27] To how God teaches us how to trust.
[00:46:31] You preached yourselves that God is renewing the face of the earth one human being at a time.
[00:46:40] Starting with you and me.
[00:46:43] It's a beautiful, beautiful picture.
[00:46:48] The renewing power of God.
[00:46:50] You see, you have already experienced the primary message of John's revelation.
[00:46:59] It is a message that promises that in these and all troubling times, from now until Jesus returns to make everything complete, we as followers can do these things.
[00:47:18] We cannot lose hope.
[00:47:21] We cannot lose hope because when it has all been said and done, evil loses, God wins.
[00:47:31] And God is always with us.
[00:47:33] God is always faithful.
[00:47:36] It's not some fantasy to think about.
[00:47:40] It is a truth to set your life on, to believe in.
[00:47:46] You can count on it.
[00:47:47] Not only can you count on it, you can rest your life on it.
[00:47:54] And when you do, it will be a good life because God is at the center of it.
[00:48:01] We can rest our lives on it.
[00:48:04] His words and His never-ending love for you, for me, and for all creation have always been and will always be
[00:48:16] Trustworthy and true.
[00:48:20] Thanks be to God.
[00:48:22] Hallelujah.
[00:48:24] Amen.
[00:48:26] Let us pray.
[00:48:32] Gracious God, thank you.
[00:48:42] Thank you for your light and your love
[00:48:45] Lights up the darkness and shows us the way.
[00:48:51] Thank you for hope that never dies.
[00:48:55] Thank you for your story that from the beginning until forever from now is trustworthy and true for our lives, for our walk, for our journey with you in this world.
[00:49:11] Remind us always
[00:49:14] That you are the beginning and the end.
[00:49:18] And we can set our lives on it.
[00:49:22] Thank you for who you are and the way that you love us.
[00:49:26] Help us to love you and the world like that.
[00:49:30] Amen.
[00:49:31] Would you stand?
[00:49:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
We're going to give you two at the end here to sing nice and loud to.
[00:49:36] One hymn and one that hopefully we all know.
[00:50:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
There is now a hope that lasts beyond our days For the one that once was buried lives again Now the tomb is bare and empty and the stone is rolled away
[00:50:26] Praise the risen one who overcame the grave All you brokenhearted, all you worn and weak Don't find living water, everlasting stream
[00:50:53] To the wand in spirit lost and searching Wanting something more By the risen King who overcomes the world Let there be dancing in the darkness And let our song break through the night
[00:51:20] Lift your voice and sing that Christ is King, for Jesus is life No more condemnation, no more doubt and fear
[00:51:44] For our sin and shame, they have no power here.
[00:51:55] In His resurrection, perfect love has set the captives free.
[00:52:02] Praise the risen King who's... Hallelujah
[00:52:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]:
Death is undone, Hallelujah Jesus has won, Hallelujah We overcome, O in Jesus, O in Jesus, Hallelujah Death is undone, Hallelujah Jesus has won, Hallelujah
[00:52:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Let there be dancing in the darkness, and let our song break through the night.
[00:52:57] Lift your voice and sing that Christ is King, for Jesus is life.
[00:53:05] Lift your voice and sing that Christ is King, for Jesus is alive.
[00:53:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
If you want to stay standing, we're going to sing two verses of Joy to the World.
[00:53:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]:
Joy to the world the Lord is come Let earth receive her King Let earth prepare Him room And heaven and nature sing And heaven and nature sing And heaven and nature sing
[00:54:14] He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove The glories of a river to His name and wonders of His love and wonders of His love
[00:54:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
So go from this place into a brand new year living in the wonder of His love.
[00:54:53] And may the Lord bless you and keep you.
[00:54:55] May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[00:54:59] May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you His peace now and forevermore.
[00:55:06] Amen.
[00:55:07] Merry Christmas.
